Posted July 16, 200519 yr From the 7/16/05 Enquirer: Repo man gets Imax projector By Cliff Peale Enquirer staff writer NEWPORT - After trying for several years to collect back payments for its $2 million projector from the closed Imax theater, Imax Corp. took matters into its own hands early Friday. A crane lifted the 1,300-pound projector out of the building at the Newport on the Levee complex.
July 16, 200519 yr This is totally based on my gut feeling but I believe Newport On the Levee is the most ineptly run business on that side of the river. Just last year it was voted by Zagats as one of the top family destination in the country but it sits at maybe 50-60% occupancy? How can you be that successful and have that much empty space sitting around? I also think the retail mix is horrendus. Aside, from Barnes and Nobles, there's nothing to draw anyone over the age of 18. I go to see movies and then leave. Finally, when I was by yesterday I noticed Bamboo Club was closed. That leaves two of their three southside corners totally vacant (no Imax and no Bamboo Club)
July 17, 200519 yr Author I thought that the entertainment mix was doing okay but the retail aspect really sucked. I never go down there, though, so I'm just going by what I've heard. Is it really struggling that much?
July 18, 200519 yr ^ I wouldn't say "struggling." I think "not living up to its potential" puts it better.
July 18, 200519 yr Bamboo Club closed? Damn...that place was really good. I had bad service in there once - excessively long wait for dinner - but they comped us just about everything that night. I'd been there probably a half a dozen times, and never got a bum meal. It often seemed just packed...damn... Anyone have any alternatives for Pacific Rim cuisine?
September 25, 200519 yr I couldn't beleive we don't have an ongoing, catch all "Newport on the Levee" thread. Instead of creating a new topic just on the following article, I've kept the topic generic. Levee Rocks On By Sonya Thielmann For The Sunday Challenger [email protected] 4 Years Old; Some Stores Struggle NEWPORT - In the four years since opening, Newport on the Levee has been a catalyst for the redevelopment of the city and the riverfront. With new condominiums, housing rehabilitation and a new park being planned nearby, the Levee continues to pull in crowds. But for Levee tenants, just how successful the development has been depends on what business you're in.
September 25, 200519 yr "Every center/commercial property experiences closings," she said. "Leases have termination options and expiration dates. This is standard in the real estate industry and certainly not unique to Newport on the Levee." Codeword for: we are going to be another Forest Fair Mall Many factors can affect the numbers, like whether the Reds or Bengals are doing well, but overall, Garrett said he's been happy to be in the Levee and thinks it's a good location. The Bengals winning may not keep down crime, but it keeps business in Kentucky!
September 25, 200519 yr Is it standard in the retail industry to be ranked as a top mall yet have a 25% vacancy? I stand by my belief that the Levee is not being run by competent managers. How else can you have the attendance numbers that place has and have an almost empty second floor?
September 25, 200519 yr I mentioned this years ago in another thread about the NOTL, socially it is great, Thursday through Sat. nights, especially for the restaurants. But the owner has been trying to unload it for years already as it is a financial loser due to most of it being empty. Most of the empty spots though are not easily seen by most of the foot traffic, probably one of the place's problems.
September 26, 200519 yr Author I think all of the other mall threads are over here, so I moved it here. Then again, most people think that NOL is the "city of Newport", so maybe I should move it back....
September 26, 200519 yr I am surprised by the vacancy's too. Everytime I go there, it is slammed with people. You can barely walk around the Barnes & Nobles area from the mass amount of people.
September 26, 200519 yr I am surprised by the vacancy's too. Everytime I go there, it is slammed with people. You can barely walk around the Barnes & Nobles area from the mass amount of people. I bet most of the vacancies are on the second floor of that "mall" area where AMC and Gameworks are located. I been to NOTL several times, and never bothered to go to the second level. Like you say, the main area around B&N is always congested with people.
September 26, 200519 yr The place was always hopping when i was there. I usually went for those events they where having down at the river, so the NOTL was not the 'destination' per se, but I did notice how crowded and busy it was on that main "plaza" level.
September 27, 200519 yr It's just my opinion, but I don't think people think of NOTL as a shopping area at all. It's an entertainment complex. NOTL is in a catch 22 currently, as there isn't enough retail room there for it to reach mall status, and the number of people coming to actually shop there isn't high enough to warrent an expansion. Oddly enough, I think if there was more room for retail in the levee (if they ever build phase II) then the empty spots would fill. Additionally, the exit off of south 471 to the levee is horrendous. I would be more willing to go there if I knew I wasn't going to be sitting in traffic for 20 minutes once I get into Kentucky.
October 2, 200519 yr I just read in the Cincinnati Business Courier that NOTL will try to lease a portion of its space as office use. I understand it from a business standpoint, but it smacks of desperation from a retail point of view. I mean, if it has not leased up yet with retail, I doubt it ever will, be it a design flaw or tenant mix problem. I will post the article when it comes out online tomorrow.
October 3, 200519 yr Levee pushing space for offices Newport entertainment venue trying new tack after three tenants leave Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter Newport on the Levee, which in the past few months has lost three major tenants, has hired a real estate firm to lease out its mezzanine level for office space, with hopes of attracting as many as six businesses and thousands of captive consumers. Joe Gilligan, senior vice president at Carey Laumer Commercial Realty, said the firm is in advanced talks with one prospective tenant and is showing large blocks of space to two others. The mezzanine, a 48,000-square-foot space that once housed the Empire Club, includes several large rooms and a balcony, where a bar once operated.
October 5, 200519 yr Author There is plenty of office space available on Monmouth, A-holes. (P.S.> I'm not referring to you guys as A-holes.)
October 8, 200519 yr 4 years later, Newport on the Levee looks for right mix Newport on the Levee has lost major tenants since June By Mike Boyer Enquirer staff writer NEWPORT - Newport on the Levee marks its fourth anniversary this fall still struggling to find the right mix of stores, restaurants and businesses to become a market-dominant retail and entertainment destination for the region. The $210 million complex on Newport's riverfront has never had an occupancy rate above 83 percent, and the departure of three major tenants since June has left a hole in its retail hull. In addition, the former IMAX theater has sat dark since June 2003.
October 9, 200519 yr Fat Fish Blue closed because the food there was just nasty. I ate at the Bamboo Club there once and thought it was an over-priced PF Changs. Not surprised it has closed. Where's the closest mall to Newport? You would think that the population of Newport and Covington could support a mall, but the parking situation is just bad.
October 12, 200519 yr Complex hasn't paid its tab Post staff report Newport on the Levee has the look of success. Its multi-screen movie theater packs the house. Its restaurants typically have waits for seating. Its aquarium keeps adding attractions, from penguins to green-naped lorikeets. Its bookstore draws a throng of browsers and buyers. But since the Levee opened in 2001, it has come up short in one aspect for which the residents of Newport, who underwrote the project with a $55 million bond issue, had high expectations. Annual $875,000 payments to the city's general fund - a portion of which the city intended to share with Newport Independent Schools - have yet to be made. Accounting for a prorated payment the first year, that's $3.7 million the city and the schools expected but haven't seen over the course of the Levee's first five years. It's not that the Levee hasn't boosted the municipal and school coffers. It has. Both property and payroll tax receipts are up:
November 4, 200519 yr Why anyone would want some of this crap is beyond me..... Cameras catch people taking stuff at Levee By Shelly Whitehead Post staff reporter From its scenic location to its popular entertainment offerings, Newport on the Levee has become the apple of every riverfront developer's eye. But in recent days, the Levee has attracted the attention of some less reputable folks, intent on walking off with a little bite of the big apple of local development one logo'd chunk at a time.
November 4, 200519 yr ^The Journal had that article. They titled it something like "Crime on the rise at Newport on the Levee." That gave me a chuckle.
November 5, 200519 yr Author Oh, no! The Levee's getting to be like Over-the-Rhine! I'm taking myself to Crestview Hills Mall!!! Pish-posh. Out.
November 6, 200519 yr Wow. I didn't realize NOTL rugs were the hot ticket item these days? Maybe we can get a smuggling ring together and steal couple? I bet we could make a killing! :) LMAO
November 22, 200519 yr Author From the 11/18/05 Cincinnati Business Courier: Newport on the Levee has Status Status, an upscale men's apparel boutique operated by Skeffington's formal wear, has opened a pilot store at Newport on the Levee, into which Skeffington's has relocated. The 1,880-square-foot store operates on the riverwalk level in the Gallery Building across from theater ticket booth. It features a selection of designer-line shirts, slacks, suits, shoes and accessories, along with a store-within-the-store Skeffington's, which relocated from the mezzanine level at the Levee.
January 31, 200619 yr Author Old article.... Real Estate Intrinzic to be Levee's first office tenant Laura Baverman Newport on the Levee announced in October that it would open 48,000 square feet of former retail space to office tenants and in December, it found its first match. Intrinzic Marketing and Design, an advertising and marketing firm based in Anderson Township, will occupy 6,000 square feet of the former Empire Night Club on the third level of the center.
February 12, 200619 yr Author From the 2/12/06 Enquirer: Surrounding development needed to help Levee pay bills Newport on the Levee has been a big success if you're looking for dinner and a movie. But for those paying the bills on more than $50 million in bonds issued to build the riverfront entertainment complex, cash in the wallet has come up a little short. About $2.1 million short, to be precise.
February 13, 200619 yr Newport is definitely a place where people look for entertainment/nightlife a lot more than shopping. Is the AMC theater doing pretty well? I'd imagine it is. That's usually where I go to see movies. The area around Barnes and Noble is packed, but with mostly broke teenagers that don't buy anything and are just there to hang out.
February 13, 200619 yr I think the Levee pushed their entertainment and dining options more than their shopping options. I'm not sure how the theater is doing. I haven't been to the Levee in a while, maybe a year. It's been even longer since I've been to the AMC theater.
February 13, 200619 yr "The levee generated 1.6 million for the city"? That doesn't seem like much at all, really... It seems like AMC and Brio alone should generate that much money. Am I think only one that thinks that the problem is just as simple as the fact that there's not that many shopping options in Newport? I mean why go there to shop when you can go to one of the other nearby malls that have a lot more to chose from.
February 15, 200619 yr Author From the 2/14/06 Enquirer: Levee deal may net city $2.6M BY RYAN CLARK | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER City Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to allow the owners of Newport on the Levee to change certain aspects of the project - and to pay the city a discounted rate if the money is paid this month. It could net the city more than $2.6 million.
February 28, 200619 yr Author If and when something concrete is proposed, we'll start a new thread for it. From the 2/28/06 Kentucky Post: PHOTO: Newport on the Levee has plans to develop on the land east of the main facility, which is now a parking lot. The new facility is expected to have a great view of the Cincinnati skyline. JASON D. GEIL/The Post East of the levee Experts and officials agree condos and retail would be a good fit for prime site By Bob Driehaus Post staff reporter Newport on the Levee is poised to jump into the red-hot urban condominium market, armed with a revised development agreement that would allow for condos to be built just east of the popular entertainment complex. Condos, possibly coupled with street-level retail, would be a good fit for what is now a parking lot owned by Newport on the Levee, city commissioners and development experts agree.
March 1, 200619 yr ^ They will probably build another "town center" on this land. I hope not but we'll see.
March 1, 200619 yr how many condo units are now proposed in and around the riverfronts of kentucky and ohio??? 7 billion now? you have to imagine that half of these proposals are going to be hung out to dry.
March 1, 200619 yr From my understanding the majority of these projects ARE becoming reality. Hopefully 'The Banks' comes through thats really the only project that is questionable now. It is the biggest of the projects, but I am still optimistic that most of these projects WILL happen.
March 1, 200619 yr I love the idea of living in a high-rise condo. When I'm out of college I think that's what I'll do. "From my understanding the majority of these projects ARE becoming reality. Hopefully 'The Banks' comes through thats really the only project that is questionable now. It is the biggest of the projects, but I am still optimistic that most of these projects WILL happen." Newport has been profiting too much off of us and taking advantage of our lack of implementation of projects. We NEED The Banks. I'm going to be pissed if it doesn't go through but why wouldn't it? Isn't the only hold up in finding a qualified developer? I don't see why The Banks could ultimately fall through, unless there's something I didn't read. Why is it "questionable"? The area in between the stadiums has got to be the most prime real estate ANYWHERE in the entire city. We're talking about crowds of tens of thousands of people walking around downtown after games, that need places to eat and have a fun time. The same goes for crowds from USBank and Great American. The Bengals are really hot right now but by the time The Banks gets built I'm hoping that they maintain their status or do even do better to bring in more revenue.
March 2, 200619 yr The Banks development is fundamentally different in that it lies in a flood plain. This totally changes the economics of development. Most of NKY is protected/divided from the river by a large earthen levee, Cincinnati is not; and while the levee is much more inexpensive, it has several drawbacks, the largest of which is that it cuts off the NKY cities from the riverbank. The Banks however, will be raised out of the flood plain with parking structures, a much more costly option, but far superior in terms of efficiency and other benefits (i.e. access to the river, tons of underground parking, allowing the city to reach the river's edge, etc.) Given this, the real hold up was in the financing of the underground garages, no developer in the world would touch this project without a financing plan in place to build all the infrastructure.
April 1, 200619 yr Reported gunfire scares Levee patrons By Kevin Eigelbach Post staff reporter Newport police evacuated one level of Newport on the Levee on Friday evening after a fight and what sounded like gunfire. Police arrested six juveniles who they said wouldn't cooperate with the evacuation and charged them with disorderly conduct or failure to disperse, Sgt. Jim Snider said.
April 1, 200619 yr I think if there were gunshots fired outside the box office they'd know for sure and it wouldn't just be speculation. Interviewing Price Hill residents is always a good idea.
April 1, 200619 yr ^My girlfriend and I were at the Levee to see a movie last night and it was a madhouse. The lobby was so loud we could hear it from inside our theater which was around the corner from the lobby. At one point, two kids just ran through our theater yelling. Also, police had to relocate people downstairs as we came out of the movie because you couldn't move through the lobby area. There were plenty of unruly kids but hardly a parent to be seen.
April 1, 200619 yr When they first opened, I thought the Levee had a curfew. Is that no longer the case?
April 2, 200619 yr Nothing is safe anymore. I'm just gonna sit inside my house all the time and stay glued to CNN and hope for the best :[
April 2, 200619 yr ^ Will you stop driving your car too? I heard it's not safe to drive. I hope you saw Grasscat's sarcasm in that comment. LOL
Create an account or sign in to comment